Talking machine



March 12, 1935. THOMPSETT 1,993,867

" TALKING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet, 1

H. A; THOMPS ET'i' I 1,993,867

March 12, 19 35.

' TALKING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 transferred in succession from a magazine to the Patented Mar. 12, 1935 UNITED "ST TES PATENT OFFICE TALKING MACHINE Application April 27, 1929, Serial No. 358,718

In Great Britain May 14, 1928 25 Claims. (Cl. 274-10) This invention relates'to improvements in talking machines adapted for continuous reproduction, whether by the repeated playing of a single record or by the playing of a series of records playing position on the turntable and in particular to talking machines of this kind which are capable of playing records of various sizes.

In known talking machines of this kind adjustable means have-been provided whereby the extent of the automatic swinging movement of the sound arm outwards preparatory to commencing to play a record is determined in accordance with the size of the record to be played the adjustable means being in some cases adjusted by hand and in other cases automatically by the record as it is fed to the playing position.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide an improved form of apparatus for moving the sound arm outwards to the desired extent and to provide means to subsequently feed the stylus gently inwards from a point near the edge of the record'to engage the commencing sound line. I

According to the invention, a talking machine of the kind referred to is provided in which the sound arm is moved outwards by contact witha member itself movable to an extent which is variable in accordance with the size of the record to be played and in which the outward movement of said sound arm is limited by a stop memberthe position of which is also variable in accordance with the size of the record to be played.

The sound arm, after being moved outwards is temporarily held positively against movement in either direction and in the position where the stylus is over the edge of the record to be played.

Means are provided to yieldingly engage the sound arm when the latter is in its outer posi-- tion and to subsequently feed the sound arm inwards when the stylus is engaged withthe edge of the record, to engage the stylus with the beginning of the sound line.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is ing the various automatic operations carried out during running of the machine.

In the machine illustrated in a base plate 1 mounted in a casing and supporting an electric motor 2 on its underside. The motor 2 drives the usual turntable spindle 3 mounted to rotate in a bearing in the base plate 1 and carrying a turntable 4, shown dotted in Fig. 1. A clutch of known formis employed to couple the machine motor to mechanism for carrying out the various automatic operations involved in playing a series of records in succession automatically. The clutch comprises a clutch plate 5 mounted on the spindle 3 and normally stationary with regard thereto and on this plate is pivotally mounted at 6 an arc-shaped lever 7 furnished on its inner periphery with a tooth 8 which, when lever 7 is permitted to move under the pull of a spring 9 connected-between the lever 'l and a stud 10 on the plate 5, engages with a toothed wheel 11 fix-. edly mounted on the spindle 3 to clutch plate 5 to the spindle. The lever '7 is normally, that is to say during playing, held in the clutch out position shown in Fig. 1 by the engagement of its free end with one end of a lever 12 pivoted intermediate its ends at 13 on the base plate 1 and this lever is adapted to be rocked in well known .manner against a spring 12' connected between lever 12 and a stud 13' on the base plate, upon-- reversal of the direction ofmovement of the sound arm 14, when the end of a record'is reached,

through the engagement of the stylus in an ec-. centric groove near the center of the record, by a toothed wheel 15 mounted to rotate against friction on a pin 16 carried on an arm 17 rigid with the sound arm 14, said wheel being adapted to ride freely over teeth or ratchets 18 carried on the end of lever 12 during playing, but to engage its teeth with those of ratchets 18 to rock lever 12 when the direction of movement of the sound arm 14 is reversed.

When lever '12 is" rocked as. described above, and

motor is transmitted to a camshaft 19, journaled in bearings in the machine, through a train of gears which includes a gear wheel 5' (Figs. 5 and 6), rigid with plate 5 and gears 20, 21 and 22 of which 20 and 21 are integral with one another while the last mentioned 22, is rigid with the camshaft 19. Upon the camshaft is carried a series of cams and these are adapted through suitable transmission mechanisms to 'automat-- ically efiect'a series of operations including rais ing the sound arm 14 to disengage the stylus from the record, swing said sound arm outwards to a plate 5 is clutched to spind1e3, the 'drive of the position where the stylus is over the point of.

commencement of a new record, eject the played record, operaterecord transferring mechanism to feed a new record from a. magazine to the playing position on the turntable and finally to lower the sound arm 14 to commence playing of the record fed to the playing position.

Upon the upper surface of the gear 22 rigid with cam shaft 19 is mounted a ring 23 having a. depression 24 formed in its inner periphery, and a pin 25 on the under side of the end of lever 12 lies in this depression 24 when the parts are in the normal or playing position.

When the lever 12 is rocked as described above to put in the clutch, pin 25 is moved from depression 24 and the lever 12 is prevented from returning to its original position while the camshaft 19 is rotating, by the engagement of pin 25 with the inner wall of ring 23, until the cam shaft has completed one revolution, whereupon the lever 12' returns to the position shown in Fig. 1 where it engages the end of lever 7 to put out the clutch. During one complete revolution of cam shaft 19 a complete cycle of automatic operations is effected.

When the cam shaft 19 begins to rotate the sound arm 14 is raised to lift the reproducer and disengage the stylus 26 from the record, and to permit this movement the sound arm 14 1s mounted for pivotal movement in a vertical plane in trunnion bearings 27 on a vertical tubular extension 28 of the sound arm which vertical extension is itself mounted to rotate about a substantially vertical axis in a bearing 29 carried on the base plate 1.

Sound arm 14 is thus capable of swinging movements both vertically and horizontally.

To move the sound arm 14 in its bearings 27, a pillar 30 is mounted for vertical movement in brackets 31 on the base plate 1, the pillar being splined and the brackets correspondingly grooved to prevent the pillar from rotating in the brack- I ets 31.

The pillar 30 rests upon one end of a lever 32 mounted to rock vertically in bearings 33 on the base plate under the influence of a face cam 34 on the camshaft whereby vertical movements are imparted to pillar 30. At the upper end of the pillar is carried an arc shaped plate 35, adapted, when the pillar is raised, to engage a stud 36 carried on an arm 37 rigid with and projecting radially of the vertically movable portion of the sound arm 14 whereby the latter is rocked about its bearings 27 and the stylus 26 is disengaged from the record.

The sound arm having been raised it is maintained in the raised position while the played record is ejected, a new record transferred from the magazine to the playing position on the turntable and while its own swinging movement to the position where the stylus is over the edge of the record to be played is completed.

The played record is removed from the turntable in any known manner as by the lifting .of

a vertical post 38 by means of a rocking lever not shown, operated at appropriate moments by a cam on cam shaft 19, the upper end of post 38 enaging the underside of the played record at a point outside the edge of the turntable 4 to tilt said record until its central aperture is disenaged from the end of spindle 3, whereupon the record is slewed off by the rotation of the turntable into receptacle 39. A roller 40 mounted to rotate in bearings 41 at the edge of the receptacle 39 facilitates movement of the ejected record.

'a cam 51 onthe cam shaft.

The records to be played are supported in a magazine at 42 and are transferred singly and in succession from said magazine to the playing position on the turntable by means of a conveyor arm 43 of a. known kind, having a number of radial, arms 44 and devices to engage and grip the edge of the uppermost record in the magazine. The arm 43 is adapted for vertical movement to raise the uppermost record from the pile in the magazine, for swinging movement-about a vertical axis at 45 to convey the lifted record to a position over the turntable and for vertical movement over the turntable for the purpose of effecting the release of the record from the gripping devices on the conveyor 43 to permit said record to fall on to the turntable 4. The conveyor arm 43 may be operated to effect the movements enumerated above by means operable from the camshaft 19 in a manner fully described in my co-pending application Serial No. 358,719, filed April 27, 1929, now Patent No. 1,879,593, dated September 2'7, 1932.

The means employed according to the present invention for swinging the sound am: outwards comprises a lever 46 pivoted at one end 47 to rock in a horizontal plane, being moved by a link 48 pivo'tally connected at an intermediate point 49 on the lever 46 and carrying at its othe end a roller 50 (Figs. 2 and 3) which co-operates with nished with a guide slot 52 in which engages a uide pin 53 carried on the base plate 1. The free end of lever 46 is adapted to engage with the lower end of pin 16 on arm 1'7 connected with the part 28 of .the sound arm 14 which is capable of movement about a substantially vertical axis only, and during the movement of lever 46 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 1 about its pivot 47, the sound arm 14 is swung outwards to a position where the stylus 26 is over the edge of the record to be played. A light spring 56 tends to move lever 46 in a counterclockwise direction and serves to maintain roller 50 in contact with cam 51. During the outward movement of lever 46 the sound arm is maintained raised, the stud 36 on arm 37 sliding over the plate 35.

The pivot 47 of return lever 46 is formed by a screw pin carried at the end of a second lever 54.which is itself pivotally mounted at 55 on the base plate 1, andthe free end of this lever 54 serves as a. stopto limit the outward movement 1 of sound arm 14 by contact with pin 16.

Upon the free end of lever 54 is pivotally mounted a short auxiliary lever 57 which is adapted to occupy a normal position where it overhangs the edge of lever 54 as shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3 under the pull of a spring 58 connected between the inner end of lever 57 and a pin 59 on lever 54. The extent to which lever 5'7 projects beyond lever 54 is limited by a lug 60 on one edge of lever 57 which engages one edge of lever 54. When the sound arm 14 has been moved outwards under the influence of lever 46 the pin 16 is lightly gripped between the levers 46 and 54 and 57 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the lever 57 being turned about its axis against the spring 58 until the projecting portion of lever 57 is moved back to lie over the lever 54.

The sound arm 14 having reached and being held in its outer position and a new record having been fed to the turntable the pillar 30 is lowered sound arm is lowered to-permit the stylus 26 '37 and the vertically moving, portion 14 of the,

to engage the edge of the record. The rotation of camshaft 19 continues and link 48 and lever 46 are permitted by cam 51 to makea return movement towards the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 under the urge .of spring 56. During the early part of this movement the sound arm 14 follows up the movement of lever 46, being urged by the pressure of; the spring actuated auxiliary lever 57 on pin 16, until the stylus 26 engages the first groove of the record. The shapeof cam 51 is however such as to permit lever 46 to move onlyvery slowly at the beginning of. the return movement. Thus a gentle but positive feed is imparted to the sound arm 14 to engage the stylus with the first record oove.

The distance w -ch pin 16 and therefore the sound arm 14 is swung outwards is varied according to the size of record fed to the turntable and for this purpose the lever 54 is mounted to be rocked about its pivot 55 on the base plate, and the lever 46 being pivotally connected with lever 54 movements of lever 54 are transmitted to lever 46. Furthermore the distance between the point of connection 4'7 of the two levers and the respective pivots 49 on link 48 and 55 on the base plate a1 are equal and adjusting movements imparted to the levers 46 and 54 are the equivalent of concentric movements when the lever 46 is in its outer position, and point49 overlies point 55. Thus it is ensured that the pin 16 will be gripped between the ends of levers 46 and 54 when the sound arm is moved outwards whatever size of record is to be played.

1n the machine illustrated the levers 46 and 54 are set automatically by the mechanism of the machine, each time a record is played, to move the sound arm 14 a distance adapted for l say a 10" record as shown in Fig. 3, and when the next record fed from the magazine is a 10 record the setting mechanism remains unaffected,

and the sound arm is moved the distance appropriate to a 10 record by the swinging of lever 46 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

When however, a record of another size, say a 12" record is fed from the magazine the edge of that record co-operates with suitable mechanism to vary the setting, the levers 46 and 54 being moved from the dotted to the full line position shown in Fig. 2, so that the sound arm will be moved by lever 46 through a distance corresponding to a 12" record. v

The record operated setting mechanism comprises a bell crank lever 61 mounted to rock with a post 62 about a vertical axis on the base plate. One arm 63 of the bell crank lever 61 carries a; pin 64 which engages with one or other of two notches 65, 66 in a catch lever 67 pivotally mounted at 68 on the base plate and pulled by a spring 69 connected between the end of the lever 67 and a post 70 on the base plate. The other arm 71 of the bell crank lever 67 is slotted at 72 toreceive a pin 73 on one end of a link 74 the otherend of which link is pivotally connected at '75 at the underside of the lever 54. The pivot 75may conveniently be formed by .the pivot of the auxiliary lever 57. The link 74 is also pivotally connected at 76 intermediate its length to the free end of a lever '77 pivoted at 78 on the base,plate and adapted to be rocked by the contact of its free end with a stud 79 on a member rotating with camshaft 19 (Figs. and 6) to move the link '74 in the direction (to the left Figs. 2 and 3) which sets the bell crank lever 61 and levers 46 and 54 in the position for movement of the. sound arm 14 a distance corresponding to a 1'0" record. This movement takes place only when a 12" record has previously beenpl'ayed and it is effected as soon as the camshaft 19 commences to rotate andbefore the movement of the record transferring arm 43 towards the turntable commences. ord is now transferred to the playing position thesetting of link 74, levers 61, 46 and 54 remains unaltered and the subsequent movement of sound arm the appropriate distance outwards takes place as described above.

If however, a twelve inch record is transferred to the playing position the link '74 and levers 61, 46, and 54 are reset automatically to move the distance outwards. The means for effecting this resetting operation comprises an arm 80 carried rigidly on the upper end of post 62 and having If a 10. rec-' sound arm through a correspondingly greater an upwardly extending rod '81 on its outer end.

Assume the rod 81 to occupy the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 3, this being the position occupied during the playing of the previous record if that record is a 10" record, or the position into which the rod 81 is moved by the rocking of post 62, lever 61, link '74 and lever '77 through stud 79 if a 12 record has been previously played.

As a 12" record istransferred by arm 43 to the turntable the edge of the record will contact with rod 81 and the latter will be moved with post 62 about the axis of the latter on the base plate until the pin 64 on the arm 63 of bell crank lever 61 passes over the projection between the notches 65 and 66 of catch lever 67 whereupon the lever 80 is caused to move sharply into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 through the engagement of the side of the projection with the pin 64 and'the pull of spring 69, the link 74 is thereby moved to the right in Figs. 2 and 3 and the levers 46 and 54 are set to move the sound arm outwards the greater distance necessary to place the stylus 26 over the edge of a 12" record. A 10' record during transference is able to pass rod 81 without touching it and consequently the setting remains as stated above unaffected.

When the 12" record clutch is put in, the camshaft 19 rotates and rod 81, bell crank lever 61, lever 74 and levers 46 and 54 are reset through stud 79 and lever 'Z'I-to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 corresponding toa l0 record and will so remain or will be moved again according as the next record fed to the turntable is a 10 or a 12" record.

I claim:

1. In a talking machine of the class described, the combination with a swingable sound arm of a movable member for moving said sound arm' outwardly, means for varying the extent of movement'of said member in accordance with the size of a record to be'played, said means including a second movable member interconnected with said first named member iorconjunctive movement I therewithwhereby. to limit the outward movehas been played the ment of the sound aim, and means controlling said first named means for automatically varying the extent of movement of said members inacthe combination with a swingable sound arm of a movable member for moving said sound arm outwardly,jsaid member having a movement variable in extent, a stop member for limiting the outward movement 01! the sound arm, said stop member being movable to difierent positions, and

common means automatically controlled in accordance with the sizeof a record to be played for simultaneously moving said sound arm moving member and said stop member.

3. In a talking machine of the class described,

the combination with a movable sound arm of a movable member for moving said sound arm outwardly, means for varying the extent of movement of said member in accordance with the size of a record to be played, a stop member for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm,

, and means for varying the position of said stop 4. In a talking machine of the class described,

the combination with a pivoted sound arm of a movable member for moving said sound arm outwardly, a stop member for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, means interconnecting said members for conjunctive movement, and common means automatically controlled by and in accordance with the size of the record to be played for moving said members.

5. In a talking machine of the class described, the combination with a sound arm of a movable member for moving said sound arm outwardly, said member having movement of variable extent, a stop member for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, said stop member. being variable in position, said members being connected for movement in conjunction, and common means controlled in accordance with the size of a record to be played for moving said members;

6. In a talking machine of the class described, the combination with a movable sound arm of a lever for moving said sound arm outwardly, a lever for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, said levers being pivotally connected, and means for moving said levers in conjunction.

'7. In a talking machine of the class described, the combination with a movable sound arm of a lever for moving said sound arm outwardly, a lever for defining the outer starting position of the sound arm, said levers being pivotally connected, and means controlled in accordance with the size of a record to-be played for moving said levers.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movable sound arm of a lever for swinging said sound arm outwardly, and a lever for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, said levers being pivoted to one another and mounted for movement about a common axis.

9. In a talking machine of the class described,

the combination with'a movable sound arm of a lever for swinging said sound arm outwardly, a lever for defining the outer starting position of vsaid sound arm, said levers being pivotally con- 10. In a talking machine of the class described,

the combination with a movable sound arm of a lever pivoted on said talking machine for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, a lever pivoted on said first lever for moving said sound arm outwardly, means connected to said first lever and controlled in accordance with the size of a record to be played for adjusting said levers, and means connected to said second lever for swinging said sound arm outwardly.

11. In a talking machine of the class described, the combination with a movable sound arm of a lever pivoted on said talking machine for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, a lever pivoted to said first lever for swinging said sound arm outwardly, means connected to said first lever and controlled in accordance with the size or a record to be played for adjusting said lever, and an operating member pivoted to said second lever for swinging said sound arm outwardly, the distances from the point of pivotal connection of said levers to the pivotal axis of said first lever on saidtalking machine and to the'point ofpivotal connection of said operating member to said second lever being equal.

12. In a talking machine of the class described, the combination with a movable sound arm of a pivoted member for moving said soundarm out wardly, a movable stop member for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, said members being pivoted to one another and mounted for movement about a common axis, and a spring influenced member carried by said stop. member for engaging said sound arm in its outer position for gently urging the sound arm inwardly after a stylus has engaged a record surface.

13. In a talking machine of the class described,

the combination with a movable sound arm of a member for moving said sound arm outwardly, a stop member for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, a pivoted lever carried by said stop member for engaging said sound arm in its outer position, and spring means normally urging said lever in a direction to move said sound arm inwardly.

14. In a talking machine of the class described, the combination with a movable sound arm of a pivoted member for moving said sound arm outwardly, a pivoted stop member for limiting the outward movement of said sound arm, means for automatically varying the position of said stop member in accordance with the size of a record to be played and a spring controlled lever pivoted on said stop member and urging said sound arm inwardly with respect to said stop member.

15.- In a talking machine of the class described, the combination with a sound reproducing instrumentality of said machine, of means for moving said instrumentality into starting position at the beginning of 'a record to be played comprising a return lever for swinging said instrumentality outwardly, a lever pivotally connected to the return lever and adjustable to control the starting position of said instrumentality for different size records, and automatic means for adjusting said last named lever in accordance with the size of a record to be played.

16. In a talking machine of the class described embodying a swingable sound arm, means for swinging said sound arm into starting position at the beginning of a record to be played comprising a return lever for swinging the sound arm outwardly, means for actuating said return lever, a lever pivotally connected to said return lever for conjunctive movement therewith for controlling the starting position of the sound arm for different size records, and means including an ele-' ment adapted to beengaged by a record tablet for adjusting said;le'vers in accordance with the size oi a record to be played.

17. Ina talking machine or the classdescribed embodying. a swingable sound arm, means for swingings'aid sound arm into starting position at the beginning of a record to be played comprising.

a return lever for swinging said sound arm outwardly, means for actuating said return lever, a lever pivotally connected to said return 'lever'for conjunctive. movement therewith for controlling the starting position of the sound arm for differentsize records, an adjusting member operatively engaging said last named lever, and a member adapted to be engagd by -a record to be played and operatively connected with said-adjusting member.

18. In a talking machine of'theclass described embodying a swingable sound arm, means for swinging said sound arm into starting position at the beginning of a record-to be played comprising a pair of. pivo'tally connected levers, means operatively engaging one of said levers for automaticallyadjusting said levers for records of diflerent diameters, and meansresponsive to the size or a record to be played for actuating said lastnamedmeans.

19. In a talking machine or the class described embodying a swingable sound arm, means for swinging'said sound arm into starting position at the beginning-oi a record to be played comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers one of which is pivoted on said machine, adjusting means controlled'in accordance with the size of a record to be played for rotating said levers relatively toone another about their pivotal connection,

and means co'nnectedt'o; one of said le'vers tor.

swinging the same whereby tomove said sound .arm to starting position ior that size record for which said-levers are adjusted.

20'. In an automatic.phonograph,'the combination witha swingable sound reproducing instrumentality of a pivoted memberfor moving said instrumentality outwardly, a pivoted lever for controlling the outward movement or said in-" strumentality, a pivoted indexing member -adapt-.

ed to be actuated by arecord tablet in its 'movement to playing position, a lever'pivotally connecting said pivoted lever and said indexing member whereby said pivoted lever is actuated tocontrol the outward movement of said instrumentality'in accordance with the size or therecord tablet, and stop means independent of said in accordance with the sizeof the record tablet,

and a spring innuencedmemberpivoted to said stop member for urging said instrumentality inwardly said record tablet.

22. In an automatic phonograph for indiscriminately reproducing record tablets of different diameters, the combination with a swingable sound reproducing device of means for swinging said after said instrumentality has engaged device into starting position at the beginning of A a record to be played comprising a return lever -for swinging said device outwardly, means rcr actuating said return lever, a second lever interconnected with said return lever for conjunctive movement therewith adapted for controlling the starting position of said device for records of dif- Ierent diameters, means including an indexing element adapted to be engaged by a record'tablet of one size for adjusting said last named lever in accordance with said size of tablet, and means for restoring said indexing element whereby said last named lever is readjusted for positioning said device fer a successive record or another diameter.

23. In an automatic phonograph for the sequential reproduction of sound from a plurality of soundrecordsof varying diameters, record supporting and rotating means, means for depositing records on said supporting means, a pivotally supported sound reproducing device, a movable sound reproducer indexing device, means Ior'actuating said record depositing means, means controlled by 'said'actuating means for positively restoring said indexing device to normal position so as to make contact with the periphery of a subsequent relatively large record during its .movem'ent to the supporting means by the record depositing means, means whereby the sound reproducing device is constrained to assume'a'n initial position.

with respect to said record determined by the position of said indexing device after contact with the periphery-of the record and means intermay be moved to starting position corresponding to said relatively large record.

connecting saidlast named means and said in-' dexing device whereby said reproducing device 24. The invention set forth in claim 23 fur-' ther characterized in that additional means are provided whereby movement of the indexing device to normal position controls the sound re producing means to assume a normal initial position in the 'eventthat a relatively small record is depositedon the supporting means. a v f 25. In an automatic phonograph tor indiscriminately reproducinga plurality of record tablets of. varying diameters sequentially, the combina- ,tion with a rotatable record support and a-pivotally mounted sound reproducing device or means ior positioning said device iorinitial cooperative relation with record tablets oi'one-diameter, indexing means pivotally 'mounted on said phonograph adjacent the periphery of said support and adapted to' be so disposed as to be capable of contacting the periphery of recordtablets of another diameter, means for moving said reproducing device to starting position, and

means interconnecting said last named means and said indexing means. whereby said device.

may bemoved to starting position corresponding to record tablets of said last named diameter.

' ma mom. 

